Description and characteristics of blackberry varieties Prime Ark Freedom, reproduction and care
BlackBerry Prime Arc Freedom is a hybrid crop grown in the United States. The plant has no thorns, bears fruit 2 times during the growing season. The variety is widely grown in Russia and other countries of the former USSR. For a safe planting, caring for the bushes, you should read the information below.
History of appearance
The blackberry variety was bred in 2013 in Arkansas, America by breeder John Clark. The plant began to enjoy popularity in 2014. The Ark 45 hybrid blackberry contains many virtues, superior in taste to the Navajo variety.
Description and characteristics
The repaired blackberry crop Ark Freedom has smooth, emerald-colored shoots. From the age of 3, they grow up to 3-4 meters in height. The fruits are large, 9-10 grams, oval-elongated with a rich aroma. The berries are moderately juicy, sweet, with a slight sourness. Transportability is good, blackberries do not flow, do not deform during transportation.
Climatic conditions for growing Ark Freedom blackberries
Blackberry variety Ark is zoned for cultivation in the USA, California. In the climatic conditions of the center of Ukraine, middle latitudes of Russia, it is better to plant bushes in greenhouses or tunnels.
Berry quality, blackberry yield by Prime Arc Freedom
Blackberries have a marketable appearance, are grown for the purpose of sale or personal consumption. They are dark purple in color, with pimpled, smooth skin. The yield is high, up to 7 kg of berries are harvested from 1 bush, up to 200 kg from 1 weave. When growing bushes in the garden, the berries are harvested in May and September. In a greenhouse, the plant blooms from February 15, and bears fruit only once in April or early May.
Disease resistance, frost resistance and drought resistance
Blackberry variety Prime Ark Freedom is famous for its high resistance to pathologies, beetle invasions, provided proper care. The bushes can withstand frosts up to -14 degrees, they endure short-term droughts.
The main pros and cons
Blackberry variety Prime Arc Freedom suggests a number of advantages, but some gardeners have found disadvantages in it.
| pros | Minuses |
| High yield | Low winter hardiness |
| Presentation of berries, excellent taste | The need for shelter |
| Undemanding to soil | The need for regular pruning |
| Shoots need support |
The subtleties of growing blackberries
2 weeks before planting, the land is plowed with a shovel bayonet, weeds are destroyed. Dig holes 40 cm in diameter. They should be at a distance of 1 meter from each other, keep a distance of 2 meters between rows. A fertile mixture is prepared from 2 kg of humus, 40 g of potassium sulfate, 120 g of superphosphate. The combination is placed in the pits and left for 10-14 days.
Timing
It is optimal to plant Ark blackberries in the South in the fall, a month before the arrival of cold weather, around the beginning of October. In the middle and northern regions, planting work is carried out in the last days of April, then the seedlings will have time to take root by the frost.
Preparation of seedlings
Blackberry seedlings should be free of damage, beetle attacks, 1 year old, with 2 shoots at least 5 mm thick. The length of the rhizome is 10-12 cm. They are dipped in a solution to stimulate the growth of the root system Epin or Matador for 2 hours.
To disinfect the seedlings, they are dipped in a manganese mixture of low concentration.
Seat selection
It is recommended to plant blackberry bushes in a place well lit by the sun, where there are no strong winds. In partial shade, the berries will not be so sweet.
Blackberry planting procedure Prime Arc Freedom
2 hours before planting the bushes, water the prepared pits abundantly with water, wait for the liquid to be absorbed. When planting, the root buds are deepened by 2.5 cm.After that, the seedlings are added dropwise, watered abundantly with water, the adjacent ground is mulched with peat.
Care advice
It is not difficult to take care of the Ark blackberry, it requires regular watering, loosening, mulching, treatment from beetles and diseases. The bushes are prepared for cold weather, cut off, fertilized.
Watering the blackberry
Blackberry bushes are watered on average with settled water 2 times a week, focusing on the weather. When the season is dry, 3 irrigations are required in 7 days. If it rains regularly, watering is carried out once a week.
Top dressing
In order for the blackberry bushes to develop better, bear fruit, it is necessary to feed the plants in the phase of their active growth, in July, with nitrogen. The substance stimulates the growth of green mass. They also add organic matter, urea, in the amount of 20 grams or 4 kg per 1 square meter. Every year the land is enriched with potassium at the rate of 40 g per 1 square meter. Nutrient mixtures should be free of chlorine.
Every 3 years, 1 time add phosphorus, 50 g per 1 square meter. If the soil has been mulched with manure, the substance is not added.
Weeding, loosening
Blackberry bushes of Prime Ark Freedom must be loosened to destroy weeds, improve aeration of the rhizome. In order to facilitate the procedure, you can mulch the circle with sawdust or peat. A layer of mulch will also help to retain moisture.
Preparing for winter
After pruning and cleaning the territory, you can cover the Prime Arc Freedom blackberry bushes for the winter. The shoots are collected in a free bunch, bent to the soil, tied to a support, fixed with hooks. So that the branches are not injured, since August they have been prepared by attaching weights. The bushes are covered with peat, sawdust, spruce branches, and agronomic fiber is placed on top.
Pruning
In March, the damaged, frozen branches of the blackberry are removed to the first growth bud. In April, the bush is formed, leaving no more than 8 shoots. When they reach a length of 10 cm, the ends are shortened with a disinfected secateurs.
Fight against pathologies and pests
Blackberry bushes are occasionally affected by fungi - septoria, anthracnose, purple spot, powdery mildew or rust.
- Septoria. The disease is characterized by spots of beige tone, in the future, the leaves brighten. The quality of the fruit is deteriorating. You can get rid of the pathology by removing the affected part of the plant, the remaining bushes are treated with Alirin B, Gamair.When buds open, they are irrigated with Bordeaux liquid 1%, Fitosporin.
- Anthracnose. Specks of gray tone appear on the blackberry. Shoots crack, berries fall, dry out. To prevent disease, manure and peat are applied under the bushes in spring and autumn. The infected parts are treated with fungicides.
- Purple spot. Pathology is characterized by spots of a brown tone, the leaves dry out, die. Bushes are treated with Pharmayod, fungicides.
- Rust. Small brownish-yellow spots are visible on blackberries. Destroy pathology with copper-containing drugs.
- Gray bloom. A fetid odor is emitted from the plant, their growth is inhibited. Powdery mildew is removed with fungicides.
- Blackberry mite. After the attack of the pest, the crop ceases to ripen. The beetle is destroyed by two treatments with Akarin, Apollo with a frequency of 8-10 days.
- Zlatka. The disease affects the shoots, they dry out, die off. To fight the pest, use Chlorophos, Metaphos, Karbofos.
Provided proper care for the blackberry, the risks of its defeat by beetles and diseases are minimal.
Blackberry breeding methods
The culture of the Prime Ark Freedom variety is propagated by seeds, layering, cuttings. Usually, events go well, even in the case of the seed method, it is possible to get a plant of the same variety.
- Rooting of cuttings. The shoots of the Ark variety are bent to the soil, strengthened. At the places of fixation, they form earthen mounds. Subsequent care involves regular irrigation, root trimming. The manipulation is carried out in April or November, but then the young bushes are covered. In the fall, the children are separated from the mother plant, transplanted into the garden.
- Root cuttings. Seedling material is prepared from blackberry roots. The shrubs are dug up, strong, elongated, healthy specimens 0.5 cm in diameter are selected. They are cut into pieces 10-16 cm long. The petioles should be rooted in August or September. Before planting, they are kept in a solution that stimulates the growth of the root system. Then, they are planted in separate containers with moistened soil. The roots should appear within a month, after which the plants are transplanted into the soil.
- Sowing seeds. Ark Freedom blackberry seeds do not germinate well, in order to speed up the process, they scratch the dense outer shell or place them in the refrigerator for 7 days. They resort to manipulation in March. The seeds are sown in seedling boxes filled with wet peat combined with sand. The seeds are deepened by 4-5 cm. After 2-3 months, the first leaves are formed on the seedlings. During this period, picking into separate containers is required. If the weather is warm, you can immediately plant seedlings in the garden, usually in mid-June. The crop will be obtained after 3-4 years.
To successfully propagate Ark Blackberries, it is important to adhere strictly to the rules.
Collection, storage of a harvest of blackberries by Prime Arc Freedom
Harvest the blackberry crop in several approaches, due to long-term fruiting. Fruits, which will be consumed fresh, are ripe ripe. For freezing, storage, processing of Prime Ark Freedom berries, unripe specimens are removed. They are kept in a refrigerator or cellar, where the air temperature does not rise by more than 5 degrees Celsius.
